Editing Len Shackleton (section)

==Club career==
Leonard Francis Shackleton was born in [[Bradford]], England on 3 May 1922 to Leonard and Irene Shackleton; his father was a self-employed painter and decorator and his mother was a housewife.<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=13}}</ref> He was the elder brother to Irene and John; John went on to sign for [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]], though never played a first team game and quit the game to become a chiropodist and tennis coach.<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=14}}</ref> Shackleton attended Carlton High [[Grammar school]], and became the first Bradford schoolboy to represent England schoolboys when he scored two goals in a 6–2 victory over Wales schoolboys; also in the team that day was future Sunderland teammate [[Dickie Davis (footballer)|Dickie Davis]].<ref name="page 19">{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=19}}</ref>

===Early career===
Despite his family being keen [[Bradford City A.F.C.|Bradford City]] supporters, Shackleton signed amateur forms with [[Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.|Bradford Park Avenue]] after being signed by manager [[Billy Hardy (footballer)|Billy Hardy]].<ref name="page 21">{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=21}}</ref> Bradford PA permitted him to play for Kippax United in the [[West Yorkshire Association Football League|Leeds League]].<ref name="page 21"/> [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]'s secretary-manager [[George Allison]] heard of Shackleton's talents, and drove to Bradford to sign him to amateur forms in 1938.<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=22}}</ref> Arsenal permitted him to play for [[Enfield F.C.|Enfield]] in the [[Athenian League]], and he in fact only represented Arsenal twice in reserve team fixtures in the [[Southern Football League|Southern League]].<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=27}}</ref> He was released by Arsenal in May 1939 and told by Allison that he was too small to succeed as a footballer, and should find other employment.<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=28}}</ref> Following this disappointment he took a job at London Paper Mills in [[Dartford]], and turned out for the [[London Paper Mills F.C.|factory's works team]] in the [[Kent Football League (1894–1959)|Kent League]].<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=31}}</ref>

===Bradford Park Avenue===
Shackleton returned to his hometown upon hearing of the outbreak of [[World War II]] and took up employment assembling aircraft radios for [[General Electric Company plc|GEC]], at which point he rejoined Bradford Park Avenue as an amateur after being invited to the [[Park Avenue (stadium)|Park Avenue Stadium]] by manager [[David Steele (footballer)|David Steele]].<ref name="page 35">{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=35}}</ref> He turned professional at the club shortly before Christmas 1940 and received a £10 signing-on fee, which the cash-strapped club had to pay in instalments.<ref name="page 35"/> On Christmas morning he played for Bradford PA, then guested for [[Huddersfield Town A.F.C.|Huddersfield Town]] in the afternoon, and scored in both matches.<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=36}}</ref> In the wartime leagues he scored a total of 171 goals in league and cup 209 appearances for Bradford PA.<ref>{{cite news|last=Slater |first=Gary |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2993985/UniBond-League-Park-Avenue-to-honour-Shackleton-with-memorial.html |title=UniBond League: Park Avenue to honour Shackleton with memorial |work=The Telegraph|date=4 December 2000 |access-date=31 August 2010}}</ref> He became a [[Bevin Boys|Bevin Boy]] in order to avoid his call-up for [[Conscription in the United Kingdom|national service]] in 1945 as he did not want to miss the resumption of [[the Football League]], but found the experience of [[coal mining]] terrifying and gruelling.<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=49}}</ref> He began to avoid his shifts in the pits, and so was called into the [[Royal Air Force]], where he served the remainder of his national service.<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=50}}</ref> He scored four goals in seven [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] matches at the start of the [[1946–47 Football League|1946–47]] season, but left the club in October 1946 after growing tired of heckling from his own supporters who did not appreciate his individualist style.<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=51}}</ref>

===Newcastle United===
In October 1946, Shackleton was sold to Second Division side [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]] for a £13,000 fee.<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=52}}</ref> He was sold as a direct replacement for [[Albert Stubbins]], who had been sold from Newcastle to [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] for the same fee.<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=60}}</ref> He scored six goals on his debut in Newcastle's 13–0 defeat of [[Newport County A.F.C.|Newport County]] at [[St James' Park]] on 5 October, with three of his goals coming within the space of just 155 seconds.<ref>The Times, 7 October 1946, ''Association Football Newcastle's 13 Goals''</ref> However his return to Park Avenue in his fourth game for Newcastle was not a happy one, as he had a penalty saved by former teammate [[Chick Farr]] in a 2–1 defeat to Bradford PA.<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=63}}</ref> The "Magpies" boasted a devastating forward line of [[Jackie Milburn]], [[Roy Bentley]], [[Charlie Wayman]], Shackleton, and [[Tommy Pearson]], and totalled 95 league goals in the [[1946–47 Football League|1946–47]] season, though their tally of 62 goals conceded and 13 defeats left the club having to settle for fifth place.<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=64}}</ref> They did though reach the semi-finals of the [[FA Cup]], where they were beaten 4–0 by [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]].<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=66}}</ref> After the semi-final game he and club captain [[Joe Harvey]] went on strike over housing issues; the club's board eventually relented and granted Shackleton the house they had initially promised him, though to save face told the press that Harvey and Shackleton had been in the wrong and had apologised.<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=67}}</ref> He further came into conflict with the club at Christmas 1947, when he and goalkeeper [[Jack Fairbrother]] refused to join the squad on a scouting party on opponents Charlton Athletic, who they faced later that season in the third round of the FA Cup.<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=68}}</ref> Unhappy with the club, he handed in a transfer request, which was granted.<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=72}}</ref>

{{Quote|"...those people upstairs, and whatnot – I never hit it off with... the fans are so brilliant at Newcastle that I feel guilty when I call them (names). But I'm not calling the fans, I'm calling the club... I've no bias against Newcastle – I don't care who beats them!"|Shackleton liked the [[Geordie]] people but felt that Newcastle United was not a well run club.<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=79}}</ref>}}

===Sunderland===
In February 1948, Shackleton was sold to [[Tyne–Wear derby|Newcastle's rivals]] [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]] for a [[Progression of British football transfer fee record|British transfer fee record]] of £20,050.<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=73}}</ref> He was one of a number of a squad full of big name players signed by the club for a total outlay of around £250,000 during the post-war era, which earned Sunderland the nickname of the 'Bank of England' club.<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=81}}</ref> However Shackleton made his debut in a 5–1 defeat to [[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]] at the [[Baseball Ground]], and Sunderland finished just four points above the relegation zone – at that time the club had never been relegated out of the [[Football League First Division|First Division]].<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=83}}</ref> He later admitted that the players were more a collection of talented individuals than a true team, and that "it takes time to harness and control a team of [[thoroughbred]]s. It took time to achieve the blend at [[Roker Park]]".<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=84}}</ref> Shackleton and centre-forward [[Trevor Ford]] would never build any kind of relationship on or off the pitch however, and Ford once threatened to never play in the same Sunderland team as Shackleton until he was forced to back down by manager [[Bill Murray (footballer, born 1901)|Bill Murray]].<ref name="Malam 2004 87">{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=87}}</ref> Ford was sold on to [[Cardiff City F.C.|Cardiff City]] in November 1953.<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=88}}</ref>

Shackleton never won any honours with Sunderland, the closest he came to doing so being a third-place finish in [[1949–50 Football League|1949–50]], when they finished one point behind champions [[Portsmouth F.C.|Portsmouth]].<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=90}}</ref> Shackleton felt that a surprise home defeat to [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] on 15 April was both decisive and galling, as teammate [[Jack Stelling]] twice missed a penalty in a 2–1 loss.<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=91}}</ref> Sunderland lost fewer games than any other team in the [[1954–55 Football League|1954–55]] season, but still ended up four points behind champions [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]].<ref name="page 92">{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=92}}</ref> They also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 1955 and in 1956, losing 1–0 to Manchester City at [[Villa Park]] and then 3–0 to [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]] at [[Hillsborough Stadium|Hillsborough]].<ref name="page 92"/> He injured his ankle on the opening day of the [[1957–58 Football League|1957–58]] season, and announced his retirement shortly afterwards.<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=103}}</ref> This meant he played only 45 minutes for new manager [[Alan Brown (English footballer)|Alan Brown]], who had a reputation as a tough taskmaster.<ref>{{harvnb|Malam|2004|p=104}}</ref> The club were reluctant to grant him a benefit match, but relented after Shackleton threatened to tell [[The Football Association|the FA]] about illegal payments the club had made.<ref name="page 113"/>